After the woods
by district12straightshot
Summary: This is Rory's view on what happened after Gale can back from the woods after fist meeting Katniss.
1. Chapter 1

"Posy, shut up" I say in an exasperated tone.

"But I'm hungry Rory" she wines back. I look back at her briefly and can't help thinking, isn't everyone hungry. But one look into her big grey eyes and I soften up.

"Gale will be back soon with tea" I say. Gale is only 14 but since my father died he has had to go out into the woods all the time. And with my mother working late every night it is usually just Vick, Posy and I at home before it gets dark.

I hear footsteps outside. I let out a breath of relief, I am still scared that Gale might get arrested by the peacekeepers or even attacked by the animals out in the woods. No Gale is big and strong, he can handle anything.

As he walks in I notice a smile that is playing on his lips.

"Was it a good haul today?" I ask, my voice is full of hope and desperation. Times are tough these days and I always seem to be hungry.

"Alright, I could have done better but I got distracted" he says, his voice sounds so light and happy.

"Why are you so happy?" I know I shouldn't have asked but I really wanted to know, maybe he bought back a treat or something.

He looks at me for a second, his grin growing wider, wider than I had seen it in months, since Dad died.

"Do you like cats Rory?" he asks in a mischievous tone. My eyes narrow.

"I don't want to eat cat Gale" I reply. But I can't help but thinking that I would eat the cat because I was that hungry. He starts to laugh raucously.

"No I mean do you like alive cats?" he guffaws. I'm happy to see him like this but, the conversation was confusing me.

"Yes" I say. He can hear the confusion in my voice. He starts to unload dinner but he is still grinning.

"Tame or wild?" he asks, his lips moving into a smirk now.

"I don't know Gale. Probably wild because they are more fun." It's when I say this, that my mother enters the room, she looks haggard.

She glances over at Gale and says sternly "Gale we have enough mouths to feed without you bringing another one to feed into the family"

He starts grinning again and says "Don't worry this cat isn't a pet, it's too wild"

"Is it a pretty kitty Gale?" chirps Posy in her sweet melodic voice.

"Yes, the prettiest I have ever seen" he whispers back to her. He starts blushing all of a sudden. I don't understand I thought we were talking about a cat.

"Can you tame it Gale?" asks Vick excitedly."

"I don't know it's pretty feisty. But I'll give it a go" he says back to Vick. I notice my mother staring at Gale, a smile playing on her lips. A smile, I haven't seen her smile in weeks.

"This cat doesn't perhaps live in the seam does it Gale?" she asks.

He glances up at her blushing and she gives a little laugh. The sound makes my heart warm. I have decided to love this cat even though I have never seen it, just because of the joy it has brought Gale and Mum.

He looks up at her sheepishly and says almost inaudibly "Maybe"

She grins and starts boiling the water to make a soup for tea. I am still confused, are they even talking about a cat anymore, or is it one of those code words old people use when talking together.

"Gale, will you see the pretty kitty again?" asks Posy sweetly.

His grin returns and he answers "As long as I can help it".

After tea we head to bed. Vick is snoring almost instantly, but Gale is whispering something in his sleep. I creep out of bed and crawl over to try and hear what he is saying.

"Catnip" he whispers quietly.

Catnip, catnip? Maybe he will use it to get the cat to come back and see him. As I crawl back into bed all I can think is that this cat has made us all smile, it must be one heck of a cat.


	2. Chapter 2

Things have changed since the war. For instance Gale.

Before the war he was never still, always moving even if it was just his eyes darting.

These days he sits, completely still. Sorry I retract my statement, not before the war but before she was taken away from him.  
The first time we saw him staring with emotionless eyes into the tv, he was staring at Katniss. He had been worried before about her since the games had started, he wouldnt even watch after she got burnt. But when he saw her kiss Peeta, he stopped everything. His breathing seemed to stop, he just stared.  
Mother was the most worried, but Posy was as well. Posy even asked Gale what was wrong. The response was that he was just watching the games like a good citizen.

Now the war is over, I still see Gale stare into nothingness. I think I know what he is remembering. The first images of losing her. He hasnt moved on in all these years, he married a beautiful girl named Ariel for a short while but it didnt even last a year. She realised she could not heal him and he realised no one but her would ever be enough.

I havent the heart to ask him about her, Gale is so strong, so fearless. I had never seen him breakdown until the day he got the letter for Madge. The letter spoke of the old inhabitants of district 12. It spoke of Katniss and Peeta and their children.

He pretends he is ok, but when he sits, still unmoving I know the despair that is eating him away. Maybe one day he will move on. I doubt it.

Whenever he gazes at the picture Posy drew for him I know what he is really looking at, a smile plays at the corners of his mouth. He says he has given up on her, but hidden behind the picture is two plants.

A primrose flower to heal old wounds.

A plant of catnip. A plant with one purpose, to bring her back. 


End file.
